Special Education for Beginners | Managing Paraprofessionals, Special Education Strategies, First Year Sped Teachers, Special Ed Overwhelm, Paperwork for Special Education Teachers

The ‘Do Less’ Summer Plan: Give Yourself Permission to Rest and Grow

• Episode 214

Share episode

Summer break is here—but before you fill every day with appointments, activities, and professional development, let’s pause. This episode is all about helping you find a better balance between rest, personal growth, boundaries, and just the right amount of planning.

Whether you’re someone who jumps directly into prep mode or someone who needs some solid nap time or lazy mornings (or both!), this episode will help you use your summer with intention—not obligation.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

✅ Why true rest matters—and how to define what that looks like for you
✅ Ways to grow personally that have nothing to do with IEPs or PD hours
✅ How to set boundaries that protect your time (and your sanity)
✅ What a “Do Not Do” list is—and why you need one
✅ How to make peace with not doing all the things this summer

Mentioned in the Episode:

📝 Want to reflect before you reset?
 Grab the free End-of-Year Reflection Chart in the show notes of Episode 213 to help you look back before you move forward.

📚 Are you someone who loves to take time during the summer to prep for fall?
 Check out my Paraprofessional Handbook. Prepare it now and save yourself some time in August.

Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability  and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you  the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.  





Sign up to be notified each time a new episode airs and get access to all the discounts!

Don't forget to leave a review of the show!

Follow Jennifer
Instagram
TPT




Speaker 1:

Well, hello there and welcome back to Special Education for Beginners. Today we are continuing our June series, Summer Strategies for Special Educators. In our last episode we reflected on the school year what worked, what didn't, and what to take into next year. If you haven't listened to that one yet, you might want to go back and grab the free reflection chart in the show notes. It is the perfect way to wrap your mind around the year you just had and do some intentional planning for next year. To wrap your mind around the year you just had and do some intentional planning for next year. But today, today, we're talking about what to do with your break, specifically, how to get the most out of it without burning yourself out or checking out completely. This episode is all about striking the balance between rest, growth and boundaries so you can recharge and refocus without guilt. Let's get to it. Hey, special educator, are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload? Well, hey, there. I'm Jennifer Hopper, an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and yes, I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me. Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos, to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand. So are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape, because together we're going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming laugh, so you don't cry. Profession of being a special education teacher.

Speaker 1:

Now I know that as soon as summer break hits, we all start thinking about how to use it. Well, some of us want to get ahead for next year, some of us just want to sleep for two weeks straight and most of us land somewhere in between. The truth is, summer doesn't need to be hyperproductive or completely unplugged. It can be a balance of both. So in today's episode, I'm sharing four ways you can get the most out of your summer break through rest, personal growth, setting boundaries and yes, a little light professional development if you're up for it.

Speaker 1:

Let's start with the most important piece prioritizing rest and relaxation. As special educators, we are constantly on the emotional load, the physical demands, the mental juggling. We just we carry it all. So when summer comes around, rest really isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. You hear non-education people saying that well, you get a summer break, but they don't understand how much of ourselves that we give throughout a school year, that getting those couple of months in the summer is necessary for us to mentally recover. So what that looks like is sleeping in if your body needs it, taking naps without guilt, saying no to extra commitments that don't serve you and giving yourself permission to do nothing for a bit.

Speaker 1:

When I was first teaching, I used to feel a little embarrassed during those back-to-school icebreakers when we'd go around the room and share what we did over summer break. Some teachers would talk about their big, extravagant vacations cruises, international travel, weeks at the beach and I'd find myself wishing I could be one of those adventurous vacationing families when it was my turn. Usually all I had to share was that I spent time getting some much-needed rest and relaxation. I read some books, I slept in each day, I sat by the pool with my daughters, I had some lunch dates with my non teacher friends, took some short trips to visit my parents, or I went boating for a couple of weekends, but it didn't take long for me to realize that's what I needed, that's how I rest and relax, and I shouldn't have to feel guilty or embarrassed by that. I had no schedules to follow, no decisions to make, and I had limited demands on my time. Of course, I have taken some big trips over the years, but I've learned that big trips, while fun for some, can be really exhausting for me. And that's okay, because rest doesn't have to look a certain way to be valid.

Speaker 1:

The point is, rest is personal. It doesn't have to look like Instagram-worthy adventures or a checklist of impressive activities. It just has to give you what you need. Maybe that's travel, maybe that's quiet mornings at home, or maybe it's a mixture of both. Whatever it looks like, give yourself full permission to embrace it guilt-free, because when you rest, you're not being lazy or falling behind. You are refueling, you are giving your body, your mind and your heart what they need so that, when it's time to step back into the classroom, you're not running on empty. So, however you choose to unwind this summer, know this you deserve it and it counts.

Speaker 1:

The second one is to focus on personal growth and not just PD. It's easy to think of summer as a time to binge all of the webinars or knock out 20 hours of professional development, but I want you to think broader than that. What kind of person do you want to be walking into next school year? Do you want to feel more balanced, more confident? Do you want to be a better communicator? Do you want to be calmer, healthier, happier, more confident? Do you want to be a better communicator? Do you want to be calmer, healthier, happier, more joyful? Sometimes, personal growth has nothing to do with work and everything to do with how we take care of ourselves. So this summer, instead of just focusing on collecting certificates or adding to your resume, ask yourself what lights me up outside of teaching. What habits do I want to build or rebuild? Where have I been pouring from an empty cup For me?

Speaker 1:

I love to learn by listening to self-improvement podcasts while I walk, watching short trainings that get right to the point, or even diving into some historical fiction TV shows and then researching what's fact and what's fiction. Learning doesn't always have to look like traditional PD. It can be fun, engaging and totally tailored to your interests. The important thing is that it sparks curiosity and helps you grow in ways that matter to you. The key is to choose learning that fuels you, not drains you. So when you do some professional development over the summer, make sure it's something that aligns with what you actually want to improve, not just something to check off of a list. This could be the summer that you start reading for fun, you start journaling, you learn to cook something new that definitely will not be on my list, or you finally take that yoga class you've been curious about. It doesn't have to be big, it just has to feed the part of you that often gets pushed to the side during a school year. Remember you are more than your job, and the more you grow as a person, the stronger you'll be as a teacher.

Speaker 1:

The third one is to set summer boundaries and actually keep them. Summer break can fill up fast, and not just with vacations or school prep. Before you know it, you are answering emails from parents, you're popping into the school quote just for a minute and then staying for hours, or you're committing to things that eat up more time than you planned. And for those of you who have kids at home, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have to keep them constantly entertained or enrolled in every camp, sport and activity available. Here's your permission slip. You don't. You don't have to be on all summer, and your kids don't either. In fact, just like you, your kids probably need some time to rest, reset and breathe without being shoveled from one thing to the next. It's okay to have slow mornings. It's okay to let them be bored sometimes. It's okay to create space for stillness. So ask yourself what do I want my days to feel like this summer? What do my kids need to recharge and what can I say no to in order to protect that space? Maybe that looks like checking school email only once a week or not at all. Maybe it's one camp per child, not five. Maybe it's simply giving yourself permission to take a real break without guilt. You don't owe anyone 12 months of nonstop teacher or mom energy. Summer is your reset button, so I want you to protect it.

Speaker 1:

And then the fourth one is to create a to-do and a do-not-do list. This one is both fun and freeing. Yes, it is totally okay to have a summer to-do list those things that you want to accomplish when the pace of life slows down. Maybe it's organizing your digital files, planning a few lessons, or finally updating your para handbook, or things at home, like finally getting to do that spring cleaning that you never did cleaning out closets or cupboards. But just as important as your to-do list is the do not do list that you need to write for yourself. I'm serious. I want you to actually sit down and make a do not do list, because boundaries need to be named if they're going to be kept.

Speaker 1:

Your do not do list might include don't say yes to every ask. Don't go into your classroom more than once. Don't check your work email. Don't take work on vacation. Don't beat yourself up for not being productive every day. This list is a gentle reminder that rest is allowed, that doing less doesn't make you any less committed and that giving yourself a break is one of the most productive things you can do. So go ahead and make both of those lists the things you'd like to do this summer and the things that you're giving yourself full permission to let go of. You deserve both.

Speaker 1:

So, in conclusion, summer break doesn't have to be all or nothing. It's not rest or productivity. It can be a little of both if you are intentional. Give yourself permission to rest deeply, grow gently and do the PD that truly serves you. Protect your time, find joy outside of work and don't forget you deserve this break. Thanks for joining me today. Next week we will continue the talk on summer strategies for special educators. Until then, enjoy your break. You've earned it. Take care and I'll see you next week.